Last night was the celebration for baby touristic at one of the smart
hotels in town .The plan was to meet two of the midwives wearing our best
clothes and join in the celebration for the first babies born this year at
various hospitals around the city. This year we managed to have one born in the
slot between midnight and five am and they were going to receive along with
many others gifts and money funded in part by the tourism office and with the
aim of encouraging safer delivery.
Unfortunately it was not to be for me and I ended up getting involved in
the practical part of safer delivery instead. As deliveries do nothing but
increase here since we opened the new maternity I had failed to appreciate that
I might not be able to leave the hospital and go to the party. The night was
extremely busy with 2 caesareans and 2 miscarriages and a normal delivery and a
difficult delivery of a baby already dead when the 17 year old young girl arrived.
Every time I thought I could leave something else occurred.
It was a happy day for 2 ladies but although not happy at least a safe
end to the complications the others suffered. We were struck by the privilege
we have here as more women come and we are able to help them .One of the ladies
with a miscarriage initially refused a curettage as she had heard they were not
a good idea. When we explained that it was also not a good idea to bleed
excessively she agreed and was surprised to find how easy it was- hopefully she
will tell others now.
It contrasts greatly to the situation we found in Goz Beida in the East
of the country near the border with
Sudan. We visited recently to see if God is calling us to work there, in a small border town with a Darfur refuge camp next door. Amongst the deliveries of which there were about a third as many as we have here 25 % were by Caesarean and the same number were stillbirths although the percentage of caesareans is normal for England here it represents women coming in in labour late on with complications and the high maternal death rate of 3% showed this.
Many women live far from the hospitals and the 180 km journey from Abeche on the main road took 6 hours6 hours and had to be
done in a four by four vehicle because of the sand and is impassable for 2
months of the year due to flooded wadis. We were welcomed by the hospital staff and it
is clear there is a great need so we are wondering whether God is calling us
there. 
In the meantime after getting to bed at 5 am I was woken by a cup of tea
and a paper daffodil from Rebecca (no flower shops here) and am glad to say all
patient are doing well and today is calmer so far. I hope to find out tomorrow
how the celebrations went and as for Goz Beida we continue to seek Gods
guidance for the future.
